Teasing, some fighting and falling out is a normal part of school-age relationships, but a bully-victim relationship is different. Bullies and bullied are both victims.A bully may:

Tease or hit other children

Demonstrate a lot of angry behavior or displays of temper

Defy parents or teachers

A victim of bullying may:

Find it hard to join in with friends

Be taken advantage of or teased by other children

Show some helplessness or be easily upset

Be timid, shy or different in some way

If you think your child may be a bully

Teach him or her about respecting other people’s rights—don’t just assume your child will know this. Constantly stress how others feel, and how important it is not to do things that make other people feel bad. Try to teach your child to treat others as he or she would like to be treated.

Most bullying takes place in or near schools. If the bullying is serious, you may need to report it to the school. Most schools have a bullying policy and should take clear steps to do something about your complaint.If you’re not satisfied, go to the school governors or to your local education authority. If the bullying is very serious, some parents opt to move their child to a different school for a fresh start, or decide to educate at home.Even children in this younger age group may use text messages or the web—so be aware if your child has a mobile phone or uses the internet, that these forms of communication can extend bullying into the home or non-school time.

Originally published on http://www.bbc.co.uk/parenting/your_kids/primary_bullying.shtml